Our Catholic Heritage in Texas
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November 10, 1582. They had hardly 'pitched camp that night when they were overtaken by a certain Fray Luis, who came accompanied by Fray Juan Bautista and Fray Francisco de San Miguel, all Franciscans, with a message from the Father custodian ordering Father Heredia to return. In compliance with the order he returned to San Bartolome, where he was asked by Juan de Ibarra to wait for twelve days. In view of the circumstances, Father Heredia sent word to the party to go on slowly and that he would overtake them. 32 On November 13, the march was resumed by the rest of the party, going down the San Gregorio to the Conchos and hence along this often traversed stream. As the Rodriguez expedition had done, they met several tribes of Indians along the river, namely, the Conchos, the Pazaguantes, and the Jumanos, the latter being at the confluence of the Conchos and the Rio Grande. This last nation was divided into three "branches speaking different dialects, but nevertheless related : ( 1) Those adjoining the Pazaguantes on the Conchos and extending for some distance up the Rio Grande were known as Patarabueyes or Otomoacos; ( 2) those living at the juncture of the rivers and south of it were called Abriades; and (3) the Indians who lived across the Rio Grande and roamed the plains in pursuit of buffalo were known as the Jumanos proper." 33 The Rio Grande was reached on December 9, called Rio del Norte for the first time by Espejo.M Here they met an Indian named Juan Cantor, who had accompanied Fray Rodriguez in the previous entrada, but who had remained at La Junta on the return march. He proved to be the uncle of Pedro, the thi rteen-year-old Indian interpreter of Luxan. Camp was established a short distance from a fairly large pueblo of flat-roofed houses, which was located a few miles north of the juncture, on the west side of the river. The Spaniards called it San Bernardino. The Indians, when assured of the peaceful nature of the expedition, brought many presents of maize, beans, mescal, dried pumpkins, gourd vessels, buffalo skins, and bows and arrows. The Spaniards stayed here for eight days to rest the horses and to seek shelter from the cold weather. While the main body of the expedition tarried, a small group visited another Indian pueblo located at the junction of the two rivers which they called Santo l 2 Hammond, op. cit., 46-48. llMecham, "Antonio de Espejo," Quarterly, XXX, 1 22 . MHammond, E x pedition it1to New 1J1exico, Quivira Publications, I, 59, note 35.
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